RACING IN WAR TIME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16498, 26 March 1917, Page 4

RACING IN WAR TIME.

BISHOP URGES REPRESSION.

" INSULT TO BRAVE MEN."

[BT TELEGRAM.OWN CORJtESPOXDEXT.]

CHEISTCHTJBCH, Sunday. > "I RKOARti every race meeting held at this '' time as a direct public insult to the brave - men who are fighting at the front for the Erapiro and for us." . This remark was the central feature of an interview given , bv Bishop Julius concerning Sir George | Clifford's statement in defence of racing in war time. We had allowed racing and betting and gambling to grow to tremendous proportion? .in peace time, Bishop Julius continned, and we had permitted to become attached to it most undesirable elements. lYet he was not to he interpreted as condemning racing, or even betting, wholly and absolutely, as it was the expression of an instinct in human nature that it would be dangerous to suppress entirely. He was not one of those to be always condemning everything. Still, this thing had attained to such terrible proportions that even in war time the amount of betting and irambling had greatly increased. We were, as a nation, encouraging it by taking a percentage of the proceed? while brave men were fighting for us at the front, and making tremendous sacrifices. It was most insulting to them, and disgusting in itself that there should he so much racing and betting, and. so many useless " puffy-faced" people about, who apparently did nothing else, and thought of nothing.else, hut racing, gambling, and betting. Though not prohibited altogether,, racing and betting ought at this time to be severely repressed, and the number of race meetings greatly reduced. -,'X* •■.-.•; WANGA'NUI CLUB'S ATTITUDE. SUSPENSION AFTER AUGUST 1. [BT TKLECR-iTH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] ■ WANGANUI, Sunday. The proposed curtailment of facing was considered bv the committee of the Wanganui Jockey Club. The following resolution was carried:— "That,* in the opinion of tho committee, the present racing calendar should be carried out in its entirety until August 1, and that if peace should not be proclaimed by that date the oiiestion of the absolute suspension of all racing, or the substantial curtailment thereof, should be seriously considered."